There hasn’t been many Quasimoto art prints, so this is a rare sighting: Lord Quas feasts on chicken & wine. This is a 24 x 24 inch archival print, illustrated by Jeff Jank. These limited edition prints are signed and numbered by the artist. (more…)

Madlib has told the story in interviews of how he created Quasimoto, aided by some chemicals, as someone to rap on his beats for his own private listening while living in Oxnard CA in the 1990s. These private recordings eventually became The Unseen (2000, Stones Throw).

The visual character of Quasimoto developed separately. It was first drawn by DJ Design (credited as Keith Beats) for Quasimoto’s “Microphone Mathematics” single, representing the three members of Madlib’s group Lootpack. The character was adapted by Jeff Jank for the inner artwork of The Unseen to represent the lyrics for the song “Bad Character,” looking up skirts, passing out poison apples, carrying a brick.

It was the fans of this album that started to identify the character as Quasimoto himself. By the second album, The Further Adventures of Lord Quas, it was accepted that the character is Quasimoto, and Madlib even referred to carrying a brick in one of the lyrics.

Jeff Jank says in an interview, “Quasimoto was always Madlib’s creation, but I love the way the visual side has developed. In the years since, Quasimoto has been a toy, a bad tattoo, an internet meme… I keep drawing him, even if Madlib isn’t rapping him anymore.”

On the crime-infested east side of Lost Gates CA, there is a vinyl pressing plant whose brochure says, “will do anything for a price.” Back in the 70s & 80s, they specialized in private press porno soundtracks, but these days Madlib is their only customer.

Delivering them a couple Quasimoto tracks with a drawing or two, here’s the record they returned: a custom-shaped, half picture disc, half clear disc, with thick vinyl. One side is Quasimoto’s “Planned Attack” from the album Yessir Whatever, and the flip side is the previously unreleased “Talkin’ Shit,” a short track with Lord Quas doing what he does best. Both tracks are produced-by and featuring Madlib. Artwork by Jeff Jank.

Pictured below is the front, family-friendly side of the vinyl. The backside of the record, the “x-ray” portion, show’s Quasimoto disgusting insides.